TLDR-Code: Complete Reference

Token-efficient code analysis. 95% savings vs raw file reads.

Quick Reference

The 5-Layer Stack

Layer 1: AST         ~500 tokens   Function signatures, imports
Layer 2: Call Graph  +440 tokens   What calls what (cross-file)
Layer 3: CFG         +110 tokens   Complexity, branches, loops
Layer 4: DFG         +130 tokens   Variable definitions/uses
Layer 5: PDG         +150 tokens   Dependencies, slicing
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total:              ~1,200 tokens  vs 23,000 raw = 95% savings

CLI Commands

Navigation

# File tree
tldr tree [path]
tldr tree src/ --ext .py .ts        # Filter extensions
tldr tree . --show-hidden           # Include hidden files

# Code structure (codemaps)
tldr structure [path] --lang python
tldr structure src/ --max 100       # Max files to analyze

Search

# Text search
tldr search <pattern> [path]
tldr search "def process" src/
tldr search "class.*Error" . --ext .py
tldr search "TODO" . -C 3           # 3 lines context
tldr search "func" . --max 50       # Limit results

# Semantic search (natural language)
tldr semantic search "authentication flow"
tldr semantic search "error handling" --k 10
tldr semantic search "database queries" --expand  # Include call graph

File Analysis

# Full file info
tldr extract <file>
tldr extract src/api.py
tldr extract src/api.py --class UserService      # Filter to class
tldr extract src/api.py --function process       # Filter to function
tldr extract src/api.py --method UserService.get # Filter to method

# Relevant context (follows call graph)
tldr context <entry> --project <path>
tldr context main --project src/ --depth 3
tldr context UserService.create --project . --lang typescript

Flow Analysis

# Control flow graph (complexity)
tldr cfg <file> <function>
tldr cfg src/processor.py process_data
# Returns: cyclomatic complexity, blocks, branches, loops

# Data flow graph (variable tracking)
tldr dfg <file> <function>
tldr dfg src/processor.py process_data
# Returns: where variables are defined, read, modified

# Program slice (what affects line X)
tldr slice <file> <function> <line>
tldr slice src/processor.py process_data 42
tldr slice src/processor.py process_data 42 --direction forward
tldr slice src/processor.py process_data 42 --var result

Codebase Analysis

# Build cross-file call graph
tldr calls [path]
tldr calls src/ --lang python

# Reverse call graph (who calls this function?)
tldr impact <func> [path]
tldr impact process_data src/ --depth 5
tldr impact authenticate . --file auth  # Filter by file

# Find dead/unreachable code
tldr dead [path]
tldr dead src/ --entry main cli test_  # Specify entry points
tldr dead . --lang typescript

# Detect architectural layers
tldr arch [path]
tldr arch src/ --lang python
# Returns: entry layer, middle layer, leaf layer, circular deps

Import Analysis

# Parse imports from file
tldr imports <file>
tldr imports src/api.py
tldr imports src/api.ts --lang typescript

# Reverse import lookup (who imports this module?)
tldr importers <module> [path]
tldr importers datetime src/
tldr importers UserService . --lang typescript

Quality & Testing

# Type check + lint
tldr diagnostics <file|path>
tldr diagnostics src/api.py
tldr diagnostics . --project              # Whole project
tldr diagnostics src/ --no-lint           # Type check only
tldr diagnostics src/ --format text       # Human-readable

# Find affected tests
tldr change-impact [files...]
tldr change-impact                        # Auto-detect (session/git)
tldr change-impact src/api.py             # Explicit files
tldr change-impact --session              # Session-modified files
tldr change-impact --git                  # Git diff files
tldr change-impact --git --git-base main  # Diff against branch
tldr change-impact --run                  # Actually run affected tests

Caching

# Pre-build call graph cache
tldr warm <path>
tldr warm src/ --lang python
tldr warm . --background                  # Build in background

# Build semantic index (one-time)
tldr semantic index [path]
tldr semantic index . --lang python
tldr semantic index . --model all-MiniLM-L6-v2  # Smaller model (80MB)

Daemon (Faster Queries)

The daemon holds indexes in memory for instant repeated queries.

Daemon Commands

# Start daemon (backgrounds automatically)
tldr daemon start
tldr daemon start --project /path/to/project

# Check status
tldr daemon status

# Stop daemon
tldr daemon stop

# Send raw command
tldr daemon query ping
tldr daemon query status

# Notify file change (for hooks)
tldr daemon notify <file>
tldr daemon notify src/api.py

Daemon Features

Daemon Socket Protocol

Send JSON to socket, receive JSON response:

// Request
{"cmd": "search", "pattern": "process", "max_results": 10}

// Response
{"status": "ok", "results": [...]}

All 22 daemon commands:

ping, status, shutdown, search, extract, impact, dead, arch,
cfg, dfg, slice, calls, warm, semantic, tree, structure,
context, imports, importers, notify, diagnostics, change_impact

Semantic Search (P6)

Natural language code search using embeddings.

Setup

# Build index (downloads model on first run)
tldr semantic index .

# Default model: bge-large-en-v1.5 (1.3GB, best quality)
# Smaller model: all-MiniLM-L6-v2 (80MB, faster)
tldr semantic index . --model all-MiniLM-L6-v2

Search

tldr semantic search "authentication flow"
tldr semantic search "error handling patterns" --k 10
tldr semantic search "database connection" --expand  # Follow call graph

Configuration

In .claude/settings.json:

{
  "semantic_search": {
    "enabled": true,
    "auto_reindex_threshold": 20,
    "model": "bge-large-en-v1.5"
  }
}

Languages Supported

Ignore Patterns

TLDR respects .tldrignore (gitignore syntax):

# .tldrignore
.venv/
how to use tldr-code
CursorClaude CodeClineCodexWindsurfGooseGitHub CopilotVS CodeGemini CLIKiloOpencodeKimi CLIRoo ClineAiderContinueZedBolt.newLovablev0Replit AgentSweepSmol DeveloperDevinCavemanAmpAntigravity
How to use tldr-code on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
1
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add tldr-code
2
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
$npx skills add https://github.com/parcadei/continuous-claude-v3 --skill tldr-codecopy
The skills CLI fetches tldr-code from GitHub repository parcadei/continuous-claude-v3 and configures it for Cursor.
3
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│   • Amp
│   • Antigravity
│   • Cline
│   • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│   • Cursor
│   • Windsurf
4
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
.cursor/skills/tldr-code
Reload or restart Cursor to activate tldr-code. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /tldr-code) or your agent's skill management interface.
⚠
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
Additional Resources
›View source code on GitHub›Skills CLI documentation›Learn more about Cursor›What are agent skills?